Kansas City Fashion Week kicks off Wednesday. Here’s what to know.

This year’s Kansas City Fashion Week (KCFW) is packed with designs that are light, breezy, and bright — at least that’s our initial impression of what will walk the runway beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, March 28. 

This, the seventh year and thirteenth season of KCFW, features a lineup of 28 local and national designers. Kelsie O’Brien, KCFW spokesperson, says she sees in the event a nod to KC’s heritage as the second-largest garment district in the country behind New York City. In the late 1940s, over 4,000 people were employed in KC’s Garment District. 

“I think people are remembering our past, in that we were a hub for fashion,” O’Brien says. “It’s great to see all these different brands be based locally, whether they’re showing in fashion week or otherwise relocating here. Everyone is working together to revive that, to put our name back on the map as being a part of the fashion industry.”

The KCFW spring show is usually smaller than fall, but that means the focus is pointed at the designers, according to O’Brien.

“We have a really good mix of young and up-and-coming designers as well as really established brands in Kansas City,” O’Brien says.

Those “fresh-faced, indie brands” include Miranda Hanson at the Friday night show. She’s a 17-year-old fashion designer from Omaha who has already had a number of lines featured at fashion weeks around the Midwest. As for established brands, Georgina Herrera is the closing walk for Saturday’s show. Her line of jewelry is sold at Halls in Crown Center and at Alysa Renee Boutique.

“[Herrera] has a cool runway presentation that’s unique; it’s something different for this season, but I can’t give away too many details,” O’Brien says.

Another new feature at this year’s show is the presentation of Day’s Eye, the handbag line by Margarida Kessens. Rather than doing the runway show, Day’s Eye will have a presentation on Thursday before the runway show from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

“Guests can get up-close-and-personal with her handbags and the models to see the details for an extended period of time, rather than having it walk down the runway,” O’Brien says. 

We’ll be posting Q&A’s throughout the week with some of this show’s local designers, so stay tuned. Here’s the schedule of events: 

Wednesday Night Runway Show
March 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday Night Runway Show
March 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday Night Runway Show
March 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday Night Runway Show
March 31 at 7:30 p.m.

All four runway events held at:

The Grand Hall at Power and Light
1330 Baltimore Ave
Kansas City, MO 64105

KCFW After Party
March 31 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.

R24 Studios
1408 W 12th Street FLR 3
Kansas City Missouri 64101